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Saturday, January 24, 2009

Yes, by greedy singers who won't take no for an answer. I was reading an article on Yahoo! about how some people feel that American Idol should not let contestant, Joanna Pacitti be in the competition because she has already attempted a career as a pop star and failed. My opinion: I agree! Ms. Pacitti, you had your chance. You don't need a way into the business if you've pretty much already been shut out. I thought American Idol was supposed to be looking for undiscovered talent. If she's already been out there, then, much like a piece of damaged luggage left at the baggage claim in the airport, she's been discovered and left unclaimed due to poor condition.

This sounds cruel, but really, the point of this show is not to bolster anyone's failing career (you know, there's a joke in there somewhere, but I won't go there), it's to help an unknown create a career in music. There have been others who shouldn't have been given the chance to compete. The most recent was Carly Smithson from season 7. She had previously been signed by MCA and her record flopped miserably. This doesn't mean she was not a good singer or that she has no worth as a person, it just means that the general public was not into her style and did not want to buy the product she had put out there. She tried, and she failed. There have been others who were previously signed by record companies, but somehow the stories about these contestants were kept very quiet. I won't go into detail, but I do remember wondering why they were being included when they had already had their big chance. I'm a firm believer in the old adage, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again..." however; once the goal (getting the record deal) has actually been met, you must allow others the same opportunity that you have already had.

I can't understand why competitions such as this one get so far away from their original premise. Someone over there believes that the same formula can't possibly work for more than one season and that we constantly have to "improve" or otherwise distort the original purpose of the contest to keep viewers engaged. I get the sense from the people I talk to that most people don't even really like American Idol, but they can't not watch the show. We are stuck in this endless loop of watching to see how off course the show can possibly go. We aren't necessarily being entertained; we're being sucked into a black hole where the talentless go to steal their fifteen minutes of fame. Whether we want to have heard these people or not, they are being forced upon us. I say that if you've had a record deal that didn't go well then you need to go back to the drawing board and work a little harder at your craft before trying to win a spot in the world of entertainment. If you are talented enough, you'll get another deal and maybe this time, it will go somewhere. If not, well...the person needs to take some time to think about whether or not they really have what it takes to be a singer.

Allowing contestants who've already "won" a record deal to compete in Idol is like letting James Patterson (if he ever wrote a book that flopped, which isn't likely) enter a Writer's Digest novel contest to break back into the writing business. But, you see, we don't do this in writing as far as I know. If you flop, well, you keep on working until you get it right or you disappear. You don't get to keep entering contests once you've gotten the initial go ahead. With the exception of the self-published, published authors are usually not permitted to enter novel writing contests because they do not need to win what is being offered. They've already won it on their own. So, I might buy that an amateur singer who has their own record label would be allowed into the Idol competition, but that's really as far as I would go.

I don't want to give the impression that contest winners are not as deserving of a career as those who have been able to get their own music or writing deals. That's not what I mean at all. Hell, I'd love to win a publishing contract. What I'm saying is that it's called a "Big Break" for a reason. If you continue to have "Big Breaks" and you do nothing with them, well or they just fizzle out, then those "Big Breaks" aren't quite so big anymore. All you are doing is preventing someone who might be more talented than yourself from getting out there and taking their shot. Don't be greedy. There's obviously room for more than one celebrity out there. If you didn't make it with your "Big Break", acknowledge it and move on.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

I recently had an article published in Alive Magazine called "Empty." The article is about my struggles with multiple miscarriage and how I have coped with my losses. You can read the article here. I'm hoping that this article will be helpful to women who have had the same experience.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have been ready to see some big changes in our country's government since the last election. I'm happy that today, we will see a new leader step up and take his place in history. No doubt, the election of Barack Obama is of major historical importance. As our first African-American president, he is a symbol for just how far this country has come in terms of civil rights and just plain valuing people for who they are instead of judging them on the basis of things like skin color, religion, sexual preference, etc.

I, for one, am glad that we have finally gotten to this point and I hope that some of the groups that are still out there promoting the "wrong" kind of behavior will not impede President Obama's progress as he attempts to lead us to the change we so desperately need in this country. I've never been a fan of this kind of hate. I don't understand it and I don't accept it. It has never made sense to me that people would judge one another so harshly on the basis of characteristics that are basically just part of one's appearance. We all know how flawed this type of thinking is and that it has gone on as long as it has is unbelievable to me.

I won't stay on that soapbox too long. People get a little touchy and what I'm really aiming for with this post is to say that in spite of my initial reluctance to vote for Obama, I am happy that he's now preparing to be sworn in as our next president. I feel hopeful and I have confidence that he will work to make this country better. I'd like to take this opportunity to wish President-elect soon to be President Obama the best of luck as he embarks on this journey. I can't wait to see what happens!

Where I'll Be...

After a short break in the summer, I'll be at the following locations:

8/11/09 Allen Park Public Library, Allen Park, MI 6:30 p.m.

Looking for something entertaining for your library or bookstore patrons? Looking for a fun way to spend a couple of hours? Do you love mysteries? Then you need to schedule a Tea & Mystery event for your library or bookstore! The fee is minimal and the presentation is fun and informative! Attendees will be given the chance to win great prizes and share their thoughts about the mystery genre and their favorite mystery writers!

“In The Wash is like a 1930’s film noir detective story that had a modern, edgy twist and a female lead.”

Janet Davies, Once Upon a Romance Reviews

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“Under Lock and Key is an enjoyable, fun book! Rona Shively is a delightful character. I loved her off-beat, quirky personality and her outstanding sense of humor.”

Connie Harris, MyShelf.com

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“Talented author Rebecca Benston shows the reader just how complicated life can get suddenly and how people you thought you knew, aren't who you thought they were.”

Anne K. Edwards, Mysteryfiction.net

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Rebecca Benston

Writer

My name is Rebecca Benston. I am the author of a mystery series, The Rona Shively Stories. The series currently includes six books: In the Wash, Under Lock and Key,Keeping the Faith, This Side Up, Now You See Me and Thy Will Be Done.

In addition to mystery, I have also written romance and some very mild horror. I'm focusing my efforts more on the spiritual side of life these days and hoping to infuse some of that into the Rona Shively series. I think it will be interesting to see what a little bit of faith can do for a wretch like Rona. If you're looking for a thinking woman's character, you've come to the right place!

I'm the mother of a beautiful little girl named Mya who inspires me on a daily, if not hourly basis. We live in Springfield, OH. When I'm not writing, I am usually working on women's empowerment projects and other things related to helping others become their best version of themselves. I enjoy helping others overcome the obstacles they face.

I'm an audiobook junkie and my favorite fiction authors are Lisa Scottoline, Janet Evanovich, and Sarah Strohmeyer. I'm inspired by them to write fiction that shows women as fiesty, fearless and fabulous individuals who can handle anything life throws their way. I also love to read anything inspirational and some of my favorite non-fiction authors include Beth Moore, Elizabeth Gilbert, Lisa Nichols, Joyce Meyer, Francis Chan and many others.

I have alot of ideas about how things are supposed to work and sometimes, I get a little opinionated here on the blog. What it all boils down to is that I want people to feel better for having read the things I write. I hope you will enjoy my offbeat sense of humor and my unique perspective on life, love, hope, and happiness.

My favorites 2011...

Authors-Beth Moore, Joyce Meyer

Music Group-TobyMac

Magazine-All You, Charisma

Movie-Diary of a Wimpy Kid-Roderick Rules, Kung Fu Panda 2

Television Show-Jentezen Franklin, Enjoying Everyday Life with Joyce Meyer